Let's Go Someplace Better
by Tigereyes45
Summary: Jacob comes back after a talk with his father visibly upset. So Cassandra follows him out to his favorite bar, with a better place in mind.


_Requested by anonymous on tumblr_

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When you see the cowboy alone in a bar the courteous thing to do is offer him a drink, and ask if he came alone. If his face hangs down and answers yes then that could mean a couple things. A recent break up, he doesn't want to talk, or that it has just been a bad day. It could even be all three. Now if he looks up and smiles as he says yes then feel free to make a move. Sadly the cowboy alone at the bar in the back corner belongs to the former group.

Cassandra Cillian was the one who wanted to speak with him though, and no was not an answer she would allow. Jacob had disappeared after returning from having a conversation with his father. When he arrived back at the library he set the door up for another trip and told them all he would be back sometime tonight. Cassandra could tell right away that Jacob was upset, and that he was going to drink.

It was his favorite watering hole he had put into the door. Cassandra takes that as the final confirmation of what she already knew. She wasn't dressed for drinking in a place like this. Her clothes were too bright and it would bring attention to herself. So the librarian scurries across the room to take a seat in the booth across from the cowboy.

"Come here often?" If they couldn't have fun she would have trouble cheering him up.

"I'm not interested."

Cassandra freezes in her seat. Did he not realize that it was her? "Um, Jacob?" She reaches over to tap his shoulder before his head slowly rises up. He had been here for just a few minutes and already he had fallen into the method of automatically denying all who came near. He moves quickly.

"Cassandra? I said I would be back later."

"You looked upset. I thought you may want to talk about it." Cassandra suggests as another drink was brought over to them. Jacob takes it and thanks the waitress who brought it before sliding it over to Cassandra.

"I thought I was gonna be done with this one already." He gestures to his still half-filled glass.

"Well are you even really in the mood to drink?" Cassandra ask with raised eyebrows

"That's why I came, here." Jake grumbles out.

"Well you don't seem to be drinking much." There were plenty of other tales as well. Cassandra had learnt a few pointers from Eve, but most of Jake's were little thing Cassandra knew he always did when he was upset. She has seen him drink everyone but Eve and Jenkins under the table. Which didn't take much. It did mean that if he still had half a drink left by the time he expected to be on a second, that he did not want to drink.

"Listen Cassie. I'm really not here to chat with co-workers. I'm here to be alone and think." Jacob explains as if he were giving instructions to a kid.

Cassandra rolls her eyes before correcting him. "Friend." He gives her a confused look. "Yes we work together but we are also friends. At least I thought we were by now. So I am here as a friend. Not a coworker." Cassandra clairfies.

Jake's stares at her. Cassie found herself counting the seconds as he does. She made it to fifthteen before the cowboy finally shakes his head and pulls off his hat. "That wasn't what I meant."

"I know." Cassandra sips her drink. "But if you don't want to drink would you like to come with me?"

Raised eyebrows. Hints of a smile pulling at his lips encourages her, or at least she thought they were hints. She could be looking far too much into it, but now or never. People were always saying that, and it was a term Cassandra lives her life by.

"Where?" Jake asks. His fingers release his nearly empty cup. Looking down Cassandra realizes her's was still almost completely full.

"To a place I like to think. I don't know if it would fit you, but it always helps me when I need a moment to think." She sets her hands in her lap, fingers intertwining with each other. "Okay, so a few moments." A laugh. There was his smile.

When he offers her his hand Cassandra takes it with a little more excitement then needed. Jacob pays the tab before leading Cassandra back to the supplies closest where the door was still activate. With a leap through Jacob lets Cassandra go. With a quick spin of the globe and a few tiny coordinates she already knew far too well, the door was on again.

"Ready?" Cassandra offers him her hand this time. He takes her arm and wraps it through his own.

"Ready." She doesn't know if the trip through the door had ever felt so warm before.

The good news was the closest door to her spot was the door that allowed others access to it. With a warm smile Cassandra glances around to see that the rooftop was abandoned. Dragging Jacob along behind her as she walks over to the edge of the roof. It was quiet, and the night sky was clear. The wind was gentle at the moment working well with the moonlight to create the perfect night.

"Where is this?" Jacob asks pulling her back from the edge a little bit.

"The first place I ever ran away too." Cassandra admits. "When I was little it was traumatic, finding out about," she gestures to her head. "One night I ran away. Not for long, just a few hours. I needed some space." Cassandra elaborates. "I found this small two story building just outside of town. The front door is chained shut but the back was broken into. Apparently some teenagers like using this place to smoke without getting caught. I use it to think." Cassandra finishes her story and plops herself down on the edge of the roof. Her feet swing back and forth. Patting the empty spot next to her.

Jacob sits down slower then Cassandra has. Already she could only imagined what he was probably thinking. A girl who had been diagnosed with a death she carries with her. Any sane person would wonder if she had come there to maybe jump and end it all. Cassandra considered it once, when she first arrived, then realized it wasn't up high enough. At most she would have broken a bone. So this spot became a hideaway, just as much for her as it had been for the teens who were smoking.

"It's calm." Jacob notes at a lost for words, Cassandra thinks.

"Fresh air is better for thinking. Better than drinking is anyways." She punches him playfully in the arm.

"Hey now don't go knocking me off." Jacob jokes leaning forward as if he was actually about to fall off. Cassandra pulls him back and he slides closer to her.

They sit in silence after. Cassandra wanted to say something, anything. She wanted to ask if he was alright, what happened, if he need her help with anything, could she help him. He would never answer those questions though. For he was a cowboy and cowboy's never need help in the stories.

"I like you Cass. I really do." Jacob whispers instead. He carefully places his arm around her shoulders, and Cassandra could not help but hope that he had meant to say love instead.


End file.
